Spanish rider Jorge Prado continues to show he is coming to grips with the 2018 season and he improves from round to round. Starting the season with just 19 points from Argentina, the Red Bull KTM Factory rider is more than happy with podium finishes in rounds two and three in Valkenswaard and Redsand. Going 2-2-2-3 for the last four motos.
In 2017 he took his first ever GP victory at the Trentino circuit in Italy and you can be sure he will want to repeat that effort in 2018 and close down the 30-point lead currently held by MX2 championship leader, Pauls Jonass.
Prado sat down with the man on the road, David Bulmer, and did this interview
Jorge, how is it to be in Spain for a GP?
Last year we didn’t get a Grand Prix in Spain, so it was real fun. If you are racing other countries, the feeling is not the same. All your fans are supporting you and it just feels different. It felt really good.
You had seen a lot of guys have their home Grand Prix, it must have been nice to have a home GP this year?
Well, I have many home Grand Prix’s. I have Argentina, Valkenswaard, Lommel, and Spain. Its nice to make special things, like something on my helmet.
You mentioned Argentina, and obviously it didn’t go as well as you hoped it would go, but what about the championship after that first round?
Well, it is still a long season, I didn’t good in Valkenswaard, and this weekend was a good weekend and I am happy with my second place. The first moto was good, the second I struggled a bit, but we’ve been working hard so I’m pleased. For sure everybody wants to win here, and Pauls is difficult to beat! Lately he has been riding even better than usual. So, we’ll keep trying!
Last round in Valkenswaard you lost both motos by seconds. Really close racing, but was there any point that you thought you could get more aggressive or were you already trying that hard?
I don’t need to pass aggressive. In Valkenswaard I just couldn’t find the place. I mean I was fast and I had the fitness, but sometimes you just can’t win and that is what happened, I just couldn’t beat him. The feeling was good, and I am happy with my riding now.
Can you explain the races in Valkenswaard?
The first GP was not the best so I’m happy I could get on the podium here; especially last year when I messed it up. I’m really glad to take second place and to be fighting for first place both times with Pauls. In Argentina I could not really feel my strength and all my work in the winter but today I felt better than ever and was very consistent. Pauls is riding really well, and the other guys are far behind, so this means we are riding good. I’m happy. Now for the home GP.
Is it difficult, because you both ride the same bike, so you both know the speed is the same, the turning is the same, you can’t think if I have more power than him in the straight you can pass him?
Well, this isn’t MotoGP, so the bike isn’t the biggest difference. Ok, we have the same bike, but we ride it different, so at the end once you are on the bike, you don’t think if your bike is quicker and I don’t think about all those things when we are riding.
You have talked about the switch to Italy (in an earlier MXlarge interview), but how is it going now. Training in Italy is good for hard pack riding I guess. What about Italy coming up in two weeks, a home GP maybe?
I am still really happy, training with Antonio, and its different the last year and I love it. I won my first GP in Arco last year, so I am good on hard pack, and it doesn’t really matter what type of dirt it is.
New release is that Bulgaria is back on the calendar. Have you ridden that before and there are also other new tracks to ride?
I raced Bulgaria in 2010 and 2011, when I was a European championship rider on 65cc and it was my best race of 2010 and it was the last race and I did really good there, and in 2011 it was also a race I won. At that time, it was a track I loved, one of my favourites. I am motivated to race there, because it’s a track I like, and I am looking forward to going there.
